Chapter – 16.
Even a Constellation Like You Has to Do Things You Don’t Want to Do Sometimes
A sharp jump in clarity made me squint reflexively.
But because I’d seen things like this before, I could handle a B-grade future without much trouble.
The seer in this omen was the man standing in front of me.
“Haha, as expected, Your Excellency’s storeroom is well-stocked. You’ve filled it right up.”
“From now on, everything in this place is Eunsol’s. It’s not a proposal — I’m just trying to buy some goodwill. How about it?”
It was definitely this blond man. His tone now was awkwardly more familiar than before.
I didn’t know what was going on… but we were ransacking a storeroom.
The logo on the heavy hangar-like door read:
Yongseon Guild.
A future that was both distant and near. We were stealing something owned by the Yongseon Guild.
“Kya-ha-ha-hat!”
I laughed out loud without meaning to.
The omen had been very short. Because of that, I couldn’t tell whether we were breaking into the guild’s main headquarters or an external office storeroom.
But this was enough.
Back then I must have been either extremely impatient or out of my mind. Stealing from that massive corporate guild, Yongseon?
‘And on top of that, I’m doing it with that crazy fellow in front of me.’
In any case, this blond man would be tangled up with me in the future!
The Constellation “Prophet of the Sun” let out a single lament.
Because the system that delivers omens passes them to me as the proxy and contractor, even the Constellation “Prophet of the Sun” had to know the contents.
Too bad for the Constellation, who wanted to kill the blond. What can you do? The omen says so.
‘Even a Constellation like you has to do things you don’t want to do sometimes.’
The blond watched me laughing to myself, then gave me a crooked smile.
“Why are you laughing? Well. Just looking at my face would make you laugh.”
“Yeah. The laughter is just soooo—”
I was giggling quietly to myself and felt like an oddity, so a small puzzled expression flickered across the blond’s face.
“All right. I won’t force you. It’s probably tough to take on the Yongseon Guild.”
Knowing the future and having nothing to lose, I ended the conversation decisively.
“Now’s not the right time! See you later!”
“…….”
The blond stared at me for a long time and then finally said one word.
“That’s it?”
“Yes. Interview’s over. See you later.”
For the first time since we’d met, he looked at me like I was strange.
I tried to hide it with a poker face, but a little slipped through.
I didn’t know why — but whatever. You’ll be working with me anyway!
“Khee-ugh, heh heh heh…!”
In the end, I failed about half the time at keeping a composed expression, just like the blond.
“Is it all done? Why are you laughing to yourself like that? Hey — if you’ve got time, look after my granddaughter for a bit.”
Park Il-sook, the owner, said this to me in a threadbare laugh and, as a bonus, smacked my back.
I felt the blond’s gaze as he left.
I didn’t particularly care whether that look landed on me or not.
The Constellation “Prophet of the Sun” couldn’t stop sighing at this annoying situation.
The Constellation “Prophet of the Sun” played the lyre and its sound rang sadly.
Buff activated!
.
.
.
Regarding Nayeon, even the blond — who calls himself a doctor — couldn’t do anything.
The moment he saw her, he said firmly that psychology wasn’t his field.
Even though he refused my offer, he strangely didn’t launch any pick-up lines as he left the café. He didn’t even look at my face.
Whatever. I don’t care! You’ll see me again anyway!
But, putting that aside…
“What are you doing here?”
Right after the billiard hall above the café was cleared out, I had met with an interior design company.
An old billiard hall, not too big or too small. It had a small room and a small shared bathroom, probably used as a storage room.
Let’s say that small room would be where I’d stay for the time being — I’d need a space suitable for giving omens to clients.
Before they built a dividing wall to make a consultation room, and while the interior workers were bustling about, Song Sin-woo showed up.
He didn’t beat around the bush.
“Aren’t you hiring staff?”
“I’m not.”
“Why aren’t you?”
“……Why would I hire someone?”
Amid the noisy, busy scene, it felt like we were the only two people in a different space as we stared at each other in silence.
Eventually Song Sin-woo spoke first, unable to hold it in.
“You asked that guy to work with you, right?”
“Who… you mean the blond? How did you find out?”
“He said so.”
“You’re so loose-lipped for someone who said they keep secrets! How much did you tell him?”
“Why should that be a problem?”
“Then what is the problem?”
“Have you forgotten what I said? I’m worried you’ll get hurt because of that blond.”
Even though busybody Song Sin-woo stopped speaking abrupt there, I heard enough.
“You’re really kind. I’m just playing the worried friend role because that blond might suck you dry — liver and gallbladder and kidneys and everything.”
“No, I…”
“Even if the world’s unstable, it’s not like you’d just meet anyone in some movie, throw a party, stuff drugs in someone — you know? So you don’t need me fussing over you. I don’t have to explain long. I can tell why you’re like this.”
“I’m not doing this because I’m kind. First, hear me out. What you’re doing is going to be a fortune-telling shop, right?”
“You heard from the café owner?”
“I heard her and my dad talking earlier. She said you were going to make a racket and flip things upside down.”
So that’s why he had come right away.
I hid a satisfied smile.
I was the one who told Park Il-sook to spread the word far and wide that I’d be giving prophecies using an awakened ability.
“A few days ago you told me to keep my mouth shut, though.”
“Something came up. Life doesn’t always go the way you want.”
That was true… but Song Sin-woo muttered, looking unsure where to begin objecting.
While this was happening I decided to pitch him on helping.
“Tell your regulars too. Slip it in that it’s a place where a newly-awakened shaman or a prophetic awakened person gives omens that actually work. You can make something up. Like I recently got a spiritual calling.”
“What are you going to name the place?”
“Hmm.”
I hadn’t decided for sure.
One name floated into my head, but it sounded too slapped-together to say out loud.
“Omen… like Greek mythology?”
“Oh.”
So Song Sin-woo knew a bit about Greek myth too. Maybe I could say it.
“Yeah. ‘Delphi Shrine.’”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s really weird. It sounds like ‘Korean-style pasta.’”
“Places that work can have fusion, retro names — people still line up.”
“Aren’t you a bit too confident?”
“No. It’ll definitely work.”
I’d already received a B-grade omen with that idea.
That omen said that the near future me would be incredibly busy — the faux-Delphi shrine would be packed, people waiting in line to the point that they give out numbers.
“Why are you like that? You don’t really think I’d give that much for the blond, do you?”
“Totally.”
Song Sin-woo’s face suddenly turned serious.
“I can accept the deposit and pay for the rent and even handle the interior renovations, sure. But what about after that? Starting a business isn’t just about money.”
“I know that.”
“You’re planning to run everything alone in this big space? Customer service, dealing with troublemakers who come as a gamble, reservations and inquiries, cleaning, and more. Can you handle all of that?”
I flinched — it was a topic I hadn’t thought about.
Now that he mentioned it, he had a good point. The Constellation who crooned about love couldn’t help with that.
As I started worrying, Song Sin-woo made an unexpected offer.
“If you’re okay with it, I’ll help.”
“You?”
“I studied Special Security. I can handle troublemakers.”
“Wow. So can you use real combat and restraint techniques?”
“I know the basics. I’m on a leave of absence right now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know why I go to school really.”
Everyone who goes to college thinks that at least once. Plus, Song Sin-woo was an awakened, so it made sense. I nodded.
“No wonder you’re in good shape.”
“…Do you say stuff like that casually?”
I didn’t know much about security studies, but a dependable image layered over Song Sin-woo. Also he was an awakened.
“I’m just taking a break now and helping my dad. I help out at the shop in the evenings, so I have enough time. You can handle closing up.”
I thought briefly and made a decision.
“Okay. It’s fine if I hire you like a part-timer. There won’t be much to do. Work hours nine to six. Lunch from twelve to one. Manage the waiting area’s cleanliness, attend to customers, deal with troublemakers. Including meals, thirty thousand won per day. Okay?”
“What? How did you come to that figure?”
“Why, isn’t it fine as pocket money?”
“That’s not pocket money! Are you spending money too easily? Is this okay? Don’t your parents know? Aren’t they worried?”
“Worried?”
I remembered, for a moment, my parents and older brother I had been forgetting. A smile crept out of me.
“Don’t worry about it. I cut myself off from the household registry.”
“…Not your parents — what about other family? Brother or sister? Won’t they say something?”
“What’s it to you?”
His persistent worry had pushed me to irritation.
No matter how much of a do-gooder he was, this was the boundary.
“Don’t ask any more. Just in case — if you see a missing person report with someone who looks like me, keep your nose out of it. Don’t get busybody. My family worries less about me and more about my labor and money.”
Song Sin-woo didn’t react much to that.
He watched me set the limit, then pointed at the workers and said:
“I’ll keep an eye on the interior work. Go downstairs to the café and rest.”
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“You’re getting paid thirty thousand a day — this is the least I can do. Have some conscience. We’ll talk details later.”
Fine. I left most of the interior supervision to Song Sin-woo and went down to the café, annoyed.
It was actually easier that way. When I tried to ask the workers stuff, their answers were half-hearted. But when Song Sin-woo came, they were quick and tidy, since he was there.
The Constellation noticed this and asked at the perfect moment.
The Constellation “Prophet of the Sun” asks whether we can shoot an arrow into the heads of the mortals who ignore the contractor Kim Eunsol.
